Wool indicator at 685c a kilogram

Press, 10 September 1988, Page 7

Wool indicator at 685c a kilogram

Prices firmed for strong Halfbred and Corriedale fleeces and the finer edge of the crossbreds at the third Timaru wool sale off the 1988-89 season in Christchurch yesterday. The market indicator, based on the Timaru and Invercargill sales and a combined North Island sale in Wellington, rose 15c to 685 c a kilogram (clean). The indicator is now just 9c below its peak of 694 c recorded at Dunedin last week.

Strong demand from Chinese interests led to a firming in the price of fleece between 29 and 34 microns in the Timaru catalogue. Stronger fleeces were steady to slightly dearer than at the previous sale at Christchurch on Thursday.

Finer Halfbreds, however, eased slightly while Merino was described as firm.

The Wool Board bid on 18.7 per cent of the Timaru offering and bought, or had passed to it, 4.5 per cent.

The Timaru wool was drawn from Mid and South Canterbury, Hakataramea Valley and North Otago. Most lines were showing the effects of a dry autumn and winter and more clips than usual were contaminated by dust and moit.

The Halfbred fleeces tended to be shorter than usual and the Merinos, though short, drew keen interest from buyers. Crossbreds were generally of good colour and length, with the secondshears being high-yield-ing. Some crossbreds were contaminated by pen stain and skirting pieces.

The order of sale was: Pyne Gould Guinness 124 lots, 1638 bales; Wrightson 488 lots, 4854 bales; total 612 lots, 6492 bales.

The total offering of 3908 clean tonnes, or 33,117 bales, comprised 28 per cent crossbred second-shear, 26 per cent crossbred fleece, 10 per cent crutchings, 6 per cent Halfbred fleece, with the balance being Merino fleece and miscellaneous.'

Compared with the last sale on September 7 Merino and Halfbred fleece 29 microns and finer was generally unchanged, but 30 to 32 microns was 2.5 per cent higher.

Skirtings were 2 per cent dearer, crossbred fleece was 2 to 4 per cent higher, second-shear 2.5 to 5 per cent dearer, and crutchings up to 4 per cent higher. Oddments were 2 per cent dearer.

The Wool Board was moderately active, bid-

ding on 10 per cent and having 4 per cent sold or passed to it... Price range The Wool Board’s report on prices for clean wool of the following descriptions is based on yesterday’s sales at Christchurch and Wellington Micron Col mm Cents

Merino 18 fleece 1 75 — 19 fleece 1 75 — 21 fleece 1 80 1765 23 fleece 1 85 — 21 pieces 2 60 — 21 bellies 2 60 —— Halfbred and Corriedale 25 fleece 2 90 970 27 fleece 2 95 918 29 fleece 2 100 826 31 fleece 2 105 — 28 pieces 4 75 720 28 bellies 4 75 — 28 lox 4 40 — 26 lambs 1.5 50 — 28 crutchings 3 Crossbred 50 — 33 fleece 2.5 110 785 33 fleece 5 no 773 35 fleece 2.5 125 701 35 fleece 5 125 696 37 fleece 2.5 125 654 37 fleece 5 125 648 37 cott 7 125 — 35 pieces 9 100 600 35 bellies 10 100 585 35 lox 10 50 —— 37 crutchings 5 65 Second shear 530 37 fleece 2.5 100 646 37 fleece 5 100 640 35 fleece 2.5 85 644 37 fleece 5 85 638 37 fleece 2.5 75 639 37 fleece 5 75 632 37 fleece 2.5 65 620 37 fleece 5 65 610 37 Bls and Pcs 8 65 510 29 lambs 2 50 — 30 lambs 2 65 —